Science

Florida May Feed Starving Manatees to Combat Record Deaths

HELP’S ON THE WAY

The state reported a record 1,003 sea cow deaths in the last year.

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Federal and Florida officials are working to combat the state’s record manatee deaths, and that may include food delivery service. The state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering a program to provide supplemental feedings to manatees throughout the state to combat the decrease in seagrass regions, which led to a record 1,003 deaths in the last year. The regions have been affected by rising pollution and algae blooms, which kill off the sea cows’ source of food during the colder winter months. “We continue to rescue manatees, and we want to be able to rescue even more during this emergency,” commission chairman Rodney Barreto told the Miami Herald.

Read it at Miami Herald